OMG another food question: Peanuts? Ok or not ok?

[taffywelsh]

So, please don't be too mad. This is a food question! At least you have been warned.

I have read in several good pregnancy books (not including What to Expect, although this topic also appears within its widely-ridiculed pages) that one ought not to eat peanuts when pregnant, in order to avoid a peanut allergy in the baby, IF there are any problem allergies in the mother or father. Both the father and I have allergies, thus, no peanuts are currently being eaten by me.

For me, it is not a big deal to avoid them because I really like almonds and almond butter more anyway, and I'm not going crazy enough to avoid foods that have been processed in the same plant as peanuts or something like that.

What is the general opinion on this topic?

[philomom]

Nope, I didn't buy it. Peanut butter is a great source of protein and fat that baby needs. I used to pad my pregnancy diet with a midnight snack of PB and J with a glass of milk. My kids have no nut allergies.

[~Demeter~]

I've actually heard the opposite... in countries where peanuts are eaten with regularity there is actually a lower incidence of peanut allergies. I eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as a snack or apples with peanut butter. I enjoy peanut butter quite a bit, none of my children (so far) have any sensitivities to peanuts at all.

[MaerynPearl]

Unless YOU are allergic to peanuts, I don't see why not.

My kids do have allergy problems, but peanuts is definitely not one (they would be crushed, they LOVE peanut butter sandwiches) and I had a lot of peanuts/peanut butter during my pregnancies with them.

Their allergies were inherited from either their father or myself (My DD is about as intolerant to lactose and caffeine as I am, and they are both severely allergic to spider bites)

[Quinalla]

After reading so much conflicting information about allergies, I've come to the conclusion that we really don't know why/how/when people develop allergies to things in most cases. I mean, you see advice that giving peanuts before 1, 3, 5, etc. will cause greater reactions if they are predisposed and then turn around and see advice saying that holding off too long makes it more likely for an allergic reaction to occur

So definitely do your own research, but to me this seems like one of those pieces of advise where the adviser means well but really has no clue.

[Family4Christ]

I ate peanut butter in ridiculous quantities with my son and he eats it just as much now . So, that seemed to be the only side effect.

[WifeofAnt]

Peanut butter is now a food group of mine since getting pregnant. Its the only thing that helped the crackers go down.

[m0xxie]

My own intuition (and that's all it is, so take it for what it's worth) about many/most kids' food allergies is that they have a lot more to do with introducing foods too early for the not-yet-fully-developed digestive system to deal effectively with. I don't know how much evidence there may be for this, but it makes a certain amount of intuitive sense to me.

I'm not concerned about anything that I eat causing allergies for my baby, in fact I think it's really good to expose the fetus to lots of different tastes. There is some new research that suggests that moms-to-be who eat a varied diet during pregnancy have children who are less picky eaters, so that's something!

[MaerynPearl]

its funny, i mentioned to my mom that i was out of honey and needed DH to pick some up for me and she gasped and goes YOU CAN EAT HONEY!?

Apparently for the same reason.

Ah, I thought I taught her better than that! Yes, mother, I can eat honey. Remember, mom, we don't believe EVERYTHING we read without researching it ourselves!

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by MaerynPearl

Unless YOU are allergic to peanuts, I don't see why not.

Agreed


OT: I swear we need a food sticky in this forum.

[menomena]

Come on over to the allergy forum and poke around a bit, and you'll see lots of theories on how different systemic issues can manifest as allergies and/or intolerances. Mostly gut/digestive stuff.

I agree that introducing foods early (especially grains) can wreck havoc on a developing/immature gut.

Also, if you (the mama) have a gut imbalance, you can pass that along to your little one. Or if you have a c-section and your baby doesn't get to pick up the beneficial bacteria from your vaginal canal to establish good colonies in their guts... Or if mom has a leaky gut, undigested proteins can end up in the breast milk.

So, my feeling is: if you tolerate it well (and be honest with yourself - does it give your heartburn or constipation or diarrhea or a rash or a runny nose or itchy eyes or a headache or fatigue or mood issues?) then it's probably okay. If you have problems with it, stay away.

[MammaB21]

I've heard it both ways - Don't eat 'em, eat 'em.....who knows if either actually causes allergies. Personally, I think that's a little far fetched. DD has peanut allergies, along with egg allergies and intolerance issues with other foods. She also has environmental allergies, animal allergies and eczema. When she was an infant she had the eczema HORRIBLY. It covered her entire body head to toe. I did EVERYTHING I could think of. We lived for a year with no perfumes or dies and had a strict diet and a strict daily routine of lotions. Nothing worked and I just had this feeling that she was allergic to some foods that were causing the outbreaks. At one year old I got her tested, and sure enough she had egg and peanut reactions. She had never had a peanut in her life, and never will. I'm not a huge peanut butter eater either. So we can pretty much rule out early exposure as the cause. Sometimes things just are, and we don't always have an answer. I say, eat away.

[lillymonster]

When DD was a baby, she reacted to soy (still does at 3 years old) diary and egg. How in the world was I supposed to know all that and be able to avoid it? I am not restricting diet this time either, although I try to stay away from soy because it's not that good for you in general unless fermented.

Originally Posted by m0xxie

My own intuition (and that's all it is, so take it for what it's worth) about many/most kids' food allergies is that they have a lot more to do with introducing foods too early for the not-yet-fully-developed digestive system to deal effectively with. I don't know how much evidence there may be for this, but it makes a certain amount of intuitive sense to me.

This is my experience, my daughter refused to eat solids until she was 2 1/2! She was entirely breastfed until then. I have my personal theories, and I am trying to avoid those and help those, but they aren't related to avoiding foods in pregnancy.

Maybe later stage allergies that start as a toddler, but my daughter reacted to foods via breastmilk, so I think it was some problem with something in the womb and then in her newborn life. I don't know - c-section, flu shot, her vaccines, my own ulcer and IBS issues. My guesses for our situation at least.

[ThisCat]

I think the advice to avoid peanuts during pregnancy is a bit dated. AFAIK, it was just a theory and not based on any actual evidence. I think the current wisdom is that avoiding them during pregnancy doesn't help prevent allergies.

I never worried about it while I was pregnant or breastfeeding. As a matter of fact, I practically lived off peanut butter and crackers for several months during my first pregnancy since it was one of the few things that didn't make me want to hurl.

[WifeofAnt]

I'd worry more about the 'supposed' peanut oil (I haven't personally looked this up so I don't know for sure) in some childhood vaccinations causing allergy than me eating peanuts while pregnant.

[bethanymama]

I love peanut butter, and my 2.5 year old is allergic. I definitely ate it while pregnant, but I don't think that actually contributed to his allergy. I mentioned that to his allergist (a really great doc), and he just shrugged. They really don't know what is causing all these allergies. More likely I just shouldn't have given it to him at 12 months old. His allergy, while alarming and still requires the epi pen prescription, is something he might even outgrow.

Fwiw, the allergist said don't worry about avoiding peanut oil - it's so highly processed that it really looks like a different food to your body.

Bethany

[rparker]

I ate peanuts while both pregnant and breastfeeding despite having a nut allergy (almonds). We introduced peanuts to my daughter at age 2 and she's not allergic. (She doesn't get almonds until age 5.)

[umsami]

In general, I believe any food in moderation is fine during pregnancy. If you look at the various food rules around the World during pregnancy, you'll find that they vary considerably. Don't freak out so much, and trust your own instincts. Really.

I don't think they know what causes food allergies--and I remember reading an article how about in Africa, they use this combo of peanut butter, dried milk, and vitamins to help underweight kids. Peanut allergies are pretty much unheard of there, and peanuts are a major source of protein and fat in the diet.

[HeatherB]

Originally Posted by WifeofAnt

I'd worry more about the 'supposed' peanut oil (I haven't personally looked this up so I don't know for sure) in some childhood vaccinations causing allergy than me eating peanuts while pregnant.

I was reading about peanut oil in vaccinations recently and the proposed link to allergies. Vaccines also are often based on eggs, etc., so it's entirely possible that some of these sensitivities are being caused by *unknown* exposure. I certainly think that's more likely than being caused by eating it in pregnancy. I need a lot of protein in pregnancy and therefore will eat PB&J far more frequently than when not pg. None of my boys have any issues with peanuts.

My 2yo does have some random allergies, but we're still not 100% sure what they're to. He has reacted to things like refried beans and yogurt.

[menomena]

Originally Posted by umsami

Peanut allergies are pretty much unheard of there, and peanuts are a major source of protein and fat in the diet.

Just pointing out that in Africa, they process the peanuts differently than we do here. I don't remember the specifics, but I read it in an article that tried to address the different incidences of peanut allergies in different countries/cultures. I think it's something about the roasting or not roasting. Er... preggo brain sorry. But I do think you can extrapolate out from this specific examples and see how the way a food item is processed (or not) can affect *its* affect on your body.